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The Small Business Research and Development Enhancement Act of 1992 established the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Pilot Program and authorized it for 3 years, beginning in fiscal year 1994. The act also reauthorized the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, which was established in 1982. The ST... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the implementation of the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program, focusing on: (1) the quality and commercial potential of STTR research; (2) how agencies address potential conflicts of interest from the involvement of federally funded research and developm... |
In its October 1993 Bottom-Up Review of the nation’s defense needs, DOD, among other things, judged that it is prudent to maintain the capability to fight and win two nearly simultaneous MRCs. In the review, DOD also determined the forces, enhancements to force capabilities, and funding necessary to execute this elemen... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the the Department of Defense's (DOD) Nimble Dancer war game, a simulation designed to assess U.S. forces' ability to fight and win two nearly simultaneous major regional conflicts (MRC), focusing on whether the methodology, scope, and results were reasonable. GAO found... |
Hepatitis C was first recognized as a unique disease in 1989. It is the most common chronic blood-borne infection in the United States. The virus causes a chronic infection in 85 percent of cases. Undiagnosed hepatitis C can eventually lead to liver cancer; cirrhosis (scarring of the liver); or end- stage liver disease... | In 1998, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched an initiative to screen and test veterans for hepatitis C--a chronic blood-borne virus that can cause potentially fatal liver-related conditions. Since 2001, GAO has been monitoring VA's hepatitis C program. This year GAO was asked to report on VA's hepatitis C ... |
The national park system is comprised of 387 parks, including a diverse array of national parks, military parks, national monuments, national historic sites, recreation areas, and other designations. The Park Service manages the park system and is charged with preserving and protecting these public lands for future gen... | In 1967, the Congress created the National Park Foundation (Foundation)--a nonprofit organization with the sole purpose of providing private support to the National Park Service (Park Service). However, some Park Service officials have raised concerns that the Foundation's support is not meeting parks' priority needs. ... |
HUD’s voucher, public housing, and project-based assistance programs share the common mission of making housing affordable to low-income households. The subsidies these programs provide are not an entitlement, and the number of low-income households eligible for assistance exceeds the number of subsidized units or vouc... | In fiscal year 2003, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) paid about $28 billion to help some 5 million low-income tenants afford decent rental housing. HUD has three major programs: the Housing Choice Voucher (voucher) and public housing programs, administered by public housing agencies, and project-b... |
The United States maintains facilities at more than 260 diplomatic missions, including embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic offices, located around the world. More than 80,000 U.S. government emplo yees from 30 age maintains. ncies depend on infrastructure that State provides and In 1998, terrorist bombings of e... | In response to the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies, the Department of State (State) embarked on a multiyear, multibillion dollar program to replace insecure and dilapidated diplomatic facilities. Since 2001, State has constructed 52 new embassy compounds (NECs) under this program, and moved over 21,000 U.S. governm... |
In 1995, IRS reported collecting $1.4 trillion from taxpayers, disbursing $122 billion in tax refunds, and managing an estimated accounts receivable inventory of $113 billion in delinquent taxes. The reliability of IRS’ financial information is critical to effectively manage the collection of revenue to fund the govern... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed major government programs and operations GAO has identified as high-risk areas, focusing on high-risk areas related to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Medicare and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. GAO noted that: (1) overall, legislative and agen... |
3R incentives are among the human capital flexibilities intended to help federal agencies address human capital challenges and to build and maintain a high-performing workforce with essential skills and competencies. According to OPM, the intent of 3R incentives is to provide agencies with discretionary authority to us... | The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has faced challenges in obtaining the workforce needed to support its responsibilities and similar to other agencies, has paid selected employees recruitment, relocation, and retention (3R) incentives. This report examines (... |
I would like to begin by summarizing the roles and responsibilities of the GSEs, describing their potential risks to taxpayers and the financial markets, and offering certain principles on governance and oversight to help ensure that the GSEs’ activities are safe, sound, and consistent with their public missions. Over ... | Congress established government sponsored enterprises (GSE)-- such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the FHLBank System, and the Farm Credit System--to facilitate the development of mortgage and agricultural lending in the United States. Although the federal government does not explicitly guarantee the GSEs' approximately $4... |
In 2000, approximately 59 million people aged 55 and over resided in the United States. The proportion of people aged 55 and over living in each state ranged from about 13 percent in Alaska to about 27 percent living in Florida (see fig.1). In program year 2000, older workers received employment and training services f... | Some economists predict that by 2030, the United States could experience a labor shortage of 35 million workers. As the shortage approaches, one option available is to encourage people to work beyond traditional retirement ages, especially because people who are age 55 or older will constitute nearly a third of the pop... |
DOD’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSADBU) is responsible for the mentor-protege program. A signed mentor-protege agreement for each mentor-protege relationship must be submitted to OSADBU and approved before developmental assistance costs may be incurred. OSADBU has reimbursed mentors throug... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) Pilot Mentor-Protege Program, focusing on: (1) DOD's management of the program, including its efforts to evaluate the program's effectiveness; and (2) the manner in which program funds have been obligated. GAO noted that: (1) data lim... |
The use of impact evaluations to assess the effect of a program or other intervention is an accepted practice in areas as diverse as medicine, economics, and social services. Some frequently cited examples of impact evaluations involve experiments designed to test the efficacy of drugs by randomly assigning participant... | This report examines the use of impact evaluations to determine program effectiveness for early childhood programs. GAO (1) describes the value of conducting impact evaluations, (2) describes their current use in evaluating selected early childhood education and care programs and (3) discusses the value of other types ... |
In fiscal year 1997, Congress allocated $90 million for MAP to support the overseas promotion of agricultural goods such as grains, cotton, forest products, fruits, nuts, seafood, meat, alcoholic beverages, and processed goods. (See fig. I.1 in app. I for MAP appropriations since fiscal year 1986.) During fiscal year 1... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Agriculture's implementation of legislative reforms to the Market Access Program (MAP) and their impact on program participation. GAO noted that: (1) as directed by Congress, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) implemented operational changes to MAP... |
A few important concepts need to be explained when discussing IMF finances. Two of these are members’ “quotas” and “currency purchases.” Quotas are the membership dues that countries pay when they join IMF.Up to 25 percent of quotas normally must be paid in reserve assets, which are special drawing rights or currencies... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) financial operations and financial reporting, focusing on: (1) what resources IMF currently has available to carry out its operations; and (2) whether IMF's financial condition can be determined from publicly available informatio... |
The federal real property portfolio is vast and diverse. The federal government controls over $374 billion (gross value) in real property assets worldwide. DOD, USPS, GSA, and VA hold the majority of the owned and leased facility space, totaling over 3 billion square feet of space. Numerous laws and regulations govern ... | GAO prepared this report under the Comptroller General's authority to conduct evaluations on his own initiative to assist Congress. Federal real property is a high-risk area due to excess and deteriorating property, reliance on costly leasing, unreliable data, and security challenges. GAO's objectives were to determine... |
Agencies report their obligations for goods and services annually to OMB using a format called a budget object class structure, specified in the OMB Circular A-11. The Circular provides five major budget object class categories used to classify obligations by the items or services purchased; each of the five is divided... | Since 1994, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been required by law to collect and report obligations for advisory and assistance services (A&AS) in the President's budget. The initial intent for this requirement is not clear, however. The statutory definition of A&AS covers three broad categories of managem... |
Within DOE, NNSA conducts its mission activities across several research and development laboratories, production plants, and other sites, known collectively as the nuclear security enterprise. Seven of the eight sites in the nuclear security enterprise, as shown in figure 1, include facilities, equipment, and componen... | DOE, through NNSA, is responsible for ensuring the safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, among other nuclear weapons-related activities. According to NNSA, the trend toward a non-domestic supply chain for components of nuclear weapons and related systems may pose risks to these weapons and s... |
HUD’s Energy Task Force, which is tasked with developing and monitoring the implementation of the department’s Energy Action Plan, is made up of representatives from several HUD program offices. The Energy Task Force is cochaired by representatives from HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research and Office of Comm... | Rising energy prices and concerns about the environment have fueled interest in "green building"--resource-efficient construction and maintenance practices that reduce adverse impacts on the natural environment. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), spends an estimated $5 billion on energy costs annual... |
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a component of the Department of Homeland Security, has the primary responsibility for securing the nation’s borders. The U.S. Border Patrol is the uniformed enforcement division of CBP responsible for border security between designated official ports of entry into the country. Accor... | The U.S. Border Patrol, a component of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, a part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), aims to apprehend persons who illegally enter the United States between official ports of entry, including potential terrorists, aliens, and contraband smugglers, thereby dete... |
Most Medicare beneficiaries purchase part B insurance, which helps pay for certain physician, outpatient hospital, laboratory, and other services; medical supplies and DME (such as oxygen, wheelchairs, hospital beds, and walkers); and certain outpatient drugs. Medicare covers a wide variety of DME items—including power... | Medicare spending for power wheelchairs--one of the program's most expensive items of durable medical equipment (DME)--rose more than fourfold from 1999 through 2003, while overall Medicare spending rose by about 11 percent for the same period, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This spend... |
PRWORA gave states the flexibility to design their own strategies for achieving TANF program goals, including the goal of helping welfare recipients move into the workforce. States can establish their own eligibility requirements and decide what assistance and services will be available. At the same time, states must m... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on the effects of family violence on the use of welfare programs, focusing on the: (1) prevalence of domestic violence among welfare recipients; and (2) implications of domestic violence for the employment of welfare recipients and other low-income women. ... |
Weapon system investment decision-making in DOD is highly complex. It involves numerous entities, levels, and policies at the military service and enterprise level. The four military services—the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps—by law have authority to organize, train, and equip their services. They make initia... | DOD's weapon system acquisition programs have a total estimated acquisition cost of over $1.4 trillion. Portfolio management is an approach used by organizations to evaluate, select, prioritize, and allocate resources to projects that best accomplish strategic or organizational goals. In March 2007, GAO recommended tha... |
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, only about a quarter of all approved drugs marketed in the United States have had clinical trials performed involving pediatric patients. FDA’s January 2001 report to Congress on the pediatric exclusivity provision noted that evidence from several studies conducted since... | Children fall ill with many of the same diseases as adults and are often treated with the same drugs. However, only about 25 percent of drugs used today have been labeled for pediatric patients. The lack of pediatric testing and labeling can place children at risk of under- or overdosing, and the lack of age-appropriat... |
To address your request, we matched selected demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau with voting equipment, voter turnout, and presidential vote data obtained from Election Data Services (EDS) and the Internet web sites of state election officials. We statistically analyzed county-level data to investigate relatio... | Following the 2000 presidential election, concerns were raised about the election process, including the ability of some voting equipment to render a complete and accurate vote count. Furthermore, minorities and disadvantaged voters were seen as more likely to have their votes not counted because they may have used les... |
Credit unions have historically occupied a unique niche among financial institutions. Credit unions differ from other depository institutions because they are (1) not-for-profit entities that build capital by retaining earnings (they do not issue capital stock), (2) member-owned cooperatives run by boards elected by th... | Unlike other depository institutions, credit unions are exempt from federal corporate income taxes. Recent legislative and regulatory changes to credit union membership restrictions and allowable products and services have blurred some of the historical distinctions between credit unions and other depository institutio... |
RFID technology is one type of automatic identification technology. Automatic identification technology is a suite of commercial technologies—including bar codes, smart cards, magnetic stripes, and radio frequency identification—that provides a range of capabilities that enable the automatic capture of source data and ... | The Department of Defense (DOD) has had problems with tracking and identifying inventory for many years, most recently in Operation Iraqi Freedom. One of several tools DOD is using to address these inventory problems is radio frequency identification (RFID). RFID technology consists of passive or active tags that are a... |
Total retirement income comes from Social Security, pensions, personal savings and other assets, and postretirement earnings. Depending on the individual, an adequate retirement income may be achieved with different combinations of these sources. For example, Social Security provides near-universal coverage and provide... | Proposals to expand pension coverage and promote pension savings have recently received much attention. In the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, for example, Congress raised statutory limits on tax-deferred pension contributions and benefits and made other changes to the law governing qualified... |
DOD is a massive and complex organization. To illustrate, the department reported that its fiscal year 2007 operations involved approximately $1.5 trillion in assets and $2.1 trillion in liabilities, more than 2.9 million military and civilian personnel, and $544 billion in net cost of operations. In support of its mil... | In 1995, GAO designated Department of Defense (DOD) business systems modernization as a high-risk program, and the program remains on the high-risk list today. A key to successful systems modernization is having and using an enterprise architecture as an authoritative frame of reference, or blueprint, for system invest... |
The 1986 Compact of Free Association between the United States, the FSM, and the RMI provided a framework for the United States to work toward achieving its three main goals: (1) to secure self-government for the FSM and the RMI, (2) to assist the FSM and the RMI in their efforts to advance economic development and sel... | In 1986, the United States entered into a Compact of Free Association with the Pacific Island nations of the Federated States of Micronesia, or FSM, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or RMI. The Compact provided about $2.1 billion in U.S. funds, supplied by the Department of the Interior, over 17 years (1987-20... |
In part to improve the information available and management of DOD’s acquisition of services, in fiscal year 2002 Congress enacted section 2330a of title 10 of the U.S. Code, which required the Secretary of Defense to establish a data collection system to provide management information on each purchase of services by a... | DOD is the government's largest purchaser of contractor-provided services. In 2008, Congress required DOD to compile and review an annual inventory of its contracted services to identify the number of contractors and the functions contractors performed. In 2011, Congress required DOD to use that inventory to inform cer... |
Bankruptcy is a federal court procedure designed to help both individuals and businesses address debts they cannot fully repay as well as help creditors receive some payment in an equitable manner. Individuals usually file for bankruptcy under one of two chapters of the Bankruptcy Code. Under Chapter 7, the filer’s eli... | Recognizing the importance of child support, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 requires that if a parent with child support obligations files for bankruptcy, a bankruptcy trustee must notify the relevant custodial parent and state child support enforcement agency so that they may parti... |
DOD’s procurement process spans numerous Defense agencies and military services. This process provides for acquiring supplies and services from nonfederal sources and, when necessary, administering the related contractual instruments. It also provides for administering grants, cooperative agreements, and other transact... | This report reviews the Department of Defense's (DOD) ability to contract for goods and services by acquiring and implementing a standard procurement system (SPS). DOD's management of SPS is a lesson in how not to justify, make, and monitor the implementation of information technology investment decisions. Specifically... |
In general, a quality product is one that performs as expected and can be depended on to perform when needed. A quality product is also one that is free of deficiencies. For the purposes of this review, we define deficiencies as items that require corrective action to bring the material condition or performance of a pr... | The Navy expects to spend about $15 billion per year to provide its fleet with the most advanced ships to support national defense and military strategies. Problems with recently delivered ships have focused attention on quality issues. House Report No. 112-110, accompanying the Department of Defense Appropriations Bil... |
USAID is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has field locations in approximately 90 countries to provide economic, development, and humanitarian assistance worldwide in support of U.S. foreign policy goals. Its activities include technical assistance, research, policy advice, and infrastructure assistance. In headq... | The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) over the years has shifted from conducting its own activities to managing acquisition and assistance (A&A) instruments--contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements--awarded to and implemented by mainly nongovernmental entities. For fiscal years 2002 through 2007, ... |
Since the attacks of September 11th , we have seen the nation unite and work to better coordinate preparedness efforts among federal, state, and local agencies, as well as among private businesses, community groups, and individual citizens. Our challenge now is to build upon this commitment and to further improve our p... | In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Administration took several steps to strengthen homeland security, including the creation of an Office of Homeland Security (OHS). The success of a homeland security strategy requires all levels of government and the private sector to communicate and cooperate... |
From 1966 through 1991, Medicare paid physicians based on what they charged for services. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 (OBRA) required the establishment of a national Medicare physician fee schedule, which was implemented in 1992, replacing the charge-based system. Currently, the Medicare physician fee... | The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adjusts Medicare physician fees for geographic differences in the costs of operating a medical practice. CMS uses 89 physician payment localities among which fees are adjusted. Concerns have been raised that the boundaries of some payment localities do not accurately a... |
Tax systems can have multiple goals. For example, in addition to the common goal of raising revenue for the government, goals can also include redistributing income, stabilizing the economy, and achieving various other social and economic objectives through the use of preferences. Generally speaking, the greater the nu... | GAO reviewed alternative tax systems, focusing on: (1) the major differences in design among the tax alternatives; and (2) how the alternatives, by incorporating different design features, may affect the taxpayers' burden of complying with the tax laws and the government's responsibilities for administering those laws.... |
Wildland fire is an inevitable natural ecological disturbance that has helped to shape ecosystems over time. Fires are driven by climate and weather conditions, topography, and fuels—including trees, brush, grasses, dead leaves and needles, and other material that will burn. Thousands of fires are started each year by ... | Decades of fire suppression, as well as changing land management practices, have caused vegetation to accumulate and become altered on federal lands. Concerns about the effects of wildland fires have increased efforts to reduce fuels on federal lands. These efforts also have environmental effects. Congressional request... |
The FSP is intended to help low-income individuals and families obtain a more nutritious diet by supplementing their income with benefits to purchase food. Most food items sold in grocery stores can be purchased with FSP benefits, except for hot foods, tobacco products, and alcoholic beverages. FNS pays the full cost o... | In fiscal year 2007, the Food Stamp Program provided about $30.4 billion in nutrition assistance benefits to 26.5 million individuals. Benefits are issued through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, similar to debit cards, to purchase eligible foods at authorized retail stores. The diets of many low-income individ... |
Federal agencies are increasingly expected to demonstrate effectiveness in achieving agency or governmentwide goals. The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) requires federal agencies to report annually on their progress in achieving agency and program goals. The President’s Budget and Performance Inte... | Agencies are increasingly asked to demonstrate results, but many programs lack credible performance information and the capacity to rigorously evaluate program results. To assist agency efforts to provide credible information, GAO examined the experiences of five agencies that demonstrated evaluation capacity in their ... |
Farming is an inherently risky enterprise. In conducting their operations, farmers are exposed to financial losses because of production risks— droughts, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters—as well as the risk of crop revenue loss resulting from declines in production, price, or both. The federal government... | To implement the federal crop insurance program, USDA's RMA partners with private insurance companies, which sell and service policies. In 2010, USDA negotiated an agreement with insurance companies to set a national cap on the annual payments it makes to them for expenses and a target rate of return. GAO was asked to ... |
Congress has a long-standing concern that the safety and soundness of the two largest government-sponsored enterprises, the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), be maintained so that they can meet their intended purposes and that their financia... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO assessed the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight's (OFHEO) capacity to fulfill its mission of helping to ensure the safety and soundness of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), focusing ... |
Today, child support enforcement is an issue for more American families than ever before. The number of out-of-wedlock births and divorces has escalated in recent years, and it is estimated about half of American children will spend at least some time in single-parent families. Many of these single-parent families, par... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the national child support enforcement (CSE) program, focusing on: (1) whether the federal government has essential management tools in place to fulfill the program's mission; (2) how well the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) has fulfilled its role in fosterin... |
As one of the largest repositories of personal information in the United States, IRS receives tax returns from about 116 million individual taxpayers who have wage and investment income and from approximately 45 million small business and self-employed taxpayers each year. IRS performs a variety of checks to ensure the... | In 2000, federal agencies estimated they saved at least $900 million annually through data sharing initiatives. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can use data from taxpayers and third parties to better ensure taxpayers meet their obligations. Likewise, Congress has authorized certain agencies access to taxpayer inform... |
The Coast Guard, a Department of Transportation agency, is involved in seven main mission or program areas: (1) enforcement of maritime laws and treaties; (2) search and rescue; (3) aids to navigation; (4) marine environmental protection; (5) marine safety and security (including homeland security); (6) defense readine... | The September 11th attacks affected the scope of activities of many federal agencies, including the Coast Guard. Homeland security, a long-standing but relatively small part of the Coast Guard's duties, took center stage. Still, the Coast Guard remains responsible for many other missions, such as helping stem the flow ... |
Since 2006, CMS has contracted with private companies, referred to as plan sponsors, to provide outpatient prescription drug plans for Medicare beneficiaries. In 2014, there were 3,455 prescription drug plans offered nationwide. Every time a Medicare beneficiary fills a prescription covered under Part D, the sponsor mu... | In 2014, the federal government spent $58 billion on Medicare Part D, the voluntary, outpatient prescription drug coverage program. An estimated $1.9 billion of this total was improper payments--including overpayments or underpayments that may be due to errors, such as the submission of duplicate claims for the same se... |
The RAD program was authorized by Congress in November 2011 under the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012. The RAD program provides HUD the opportunity to test the conversion of units subsidized under HUD’s public housing and certain other programs to long-term (typically 15 to 20 years), pro... | Over the next several years, rental assistance contracts will expire for about 38,000 affordable housing units currently subsidized through three HUD rental programs. Owners of these units would no longer be required to maintain affordable rents or make their units available to low-income residents. Residents in these ... |
Under EPCRA, facilities that maintain specified quantities of certain hazardous chemicals are required to annually submit chemical inventory forms to state and local emergency response officials to help them prepare for and respond to chemical incidents. The information to be provided includes (1) an estimated range of... | The United States has become increasingly aware of the need to be prepared for emergencies, including those involving hazardous chemicals. The local emergency responders and representatives from national organizations that GAO contacted have varied views on the adequacy of (1) information in chemical inventory forms an... |
The federal role for funding and coordinating disaster case management was not explicitly defined until the passage of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (Post-Katrina Act). The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), as amended, is the primary authority und... | As a result of the unprecedented damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the federal government, for the first time, funded several disaster case management programs. These programs help victims access services for disaster-related needs. GAO was asked to review (1) steps the federal government took to su... |
We reported in December 2007 that VA medical facilities had challenges recruiting and retaining VA CRNAs. On the basis of our survey results, we found that VA medical facilities had challenges in recruiting VA CRNAs at their facilities and will likely face challenges in retaining VA CRNAs in the next 5 years due to the... | Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA), registered nurses who have completed a master's degree program in nurse anesthesia, provide the majority of anesthesia care in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities. There are approximately 500 VA-employed CRNAs (VA CRNA) who provide care to veterans ... |
The majority of Americans receive their health coverage through the private health insurance market. Over the past several years, insurance carriers selling coverage in this market have added CDHPs to their portfolio of insurance products. The most common types of CDHPs are HRA-based and HSA-eligible plans used in conj... | Insurance carriers, employers, and individuals are showing increasing interest in consumer-directed health plans (CDHP). CDHPs typically combine a high-deductible health plan with a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) or health savings account (HSA). HRAs and HSAs are tax-advantaged accounts used to pay enrollees' h... |
Medicaid is a joint federal-state health program for the poor that expended $159 billion in fiscal year 1995 to provide health care coverage for over 40 million people. Because of its size and complex structure, Medicaid is vulnerable to fraud and abuse. State Medicaid agencies have the primary responsibility to protec... | GAO discussed whether the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Inspector General's (OIG) process for removing fraudulent health care providers from all federal health programs. GAO noted that: (1) weaknesses within HHS OIG allow sanctioned health care providers to remain in federal health care progr... |
Deicing operations include removing ice from aircraft, applying chemicals to prevent initial icing or further icing (anti-icing), and removing (and preventing) ice from airfield pavement (runways, taxiways, aprons, and ramps). Prior to departure, the removal of ice, snow, slush, or frost from an aircraft’s critical sur... | Ice formation on aircraft can disrupt the smooth flow of air over the wings and prevent the aircraft from taking off or decrease the pilot's ability to maintain control of the aircraft. Takeoff and landing operations can also be risky in winter weather. Despite persistent efforts by the Federal Aviation Administration ... |
The model for data-driven performance reviews was established in the early 1990s by New York City Police Department (NYPD) leadership as a strategy to reduce crime. Dubbed “CompStat,” the NYPD’s weekly reviews grew from the premise that use of crime data could enable leadership to make better-informed, more effective d... | Given the federal government's central role in addressing many of the American public's most pressing concerns, it is critical that government performance is managed effectively. GAO's previous work has shown that many federal agencies have struggled to adopt effective performance management practices. Congress took st... |
The Section 402 program provides over $1 billion for fiscal years 2005 through 2009 in federal funding to states for highway safety programs aimed at reducing traffic crashes and related deaths, injuries, and property damage. Each year, after states submit a highway safety plan to NHTSA that describes how they plan to ... | Traffic crashes kill thousands of Americans every year--in 2005, it was the leading cause of death among young Americans. To try to improve highway safety, Congress authorized a grant program overseen by the Department of Transportation's (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In 2003, GAO recomm... |
VA pays monthly disability compensation to veterans with service- connected disabilities (injuries or diseases incurred or aggravated while on active military duty) according to the severity of the disability. VA also pays additional compensation for some dependents––spouses, children, and parents––of veterans. In fisc... | The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee asked GAO to present its preliminary findings on the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) disability claims process. This statement discusses (1) the trends in VA compensation claims and appeals, and (2) the steps VA is taking to improve disability claims processing. This testimon... |
The Army maintains 10 active divisions—6 heavy and 4 light, each of which is assigned 10,000 to 15,000 personnel. Heavy divisions are armored or mechanized and equipped with tanks, fighting vehicles, and attack helicopters. Light forces are airborne, air assault, and infantry divisions tailored for operations on restri... | In recent years, GAO has testified that personnel shortages, assignment priorities, and frequent peacekeeping deployments were undermining the combat readiness of the Army's five later-deploying divisions. In 2001, GAO reported on the Army Chief of Staff's manning initiative of October 1999, which seeks to ensure that ... |
In August 2008, GAO reported on the challenges that the Iraqi government faced in spending resources to finance key reconstruction and stabilization efforts, including those to develop Iraq’s security forces. We also reported that from January 2005 through April 2008, Iraq’s Ministries of Defense and Interior reported ... | Since 2003, the United States has reported obligating $642 billion for U.S. military operations in Iraq and provided about $24 billion for training, equipment, and other services for Iraqi security forces. To assist Congress in overseeing efforts to encourage the Iraqi government to contribute more toward the cost of s... |
In 2011, TSA began developing new expedited security procedures intended to strengthen security and improve the passenger experience by shortening lines and wait times, and in October 2011, implemented its expedited screening program—known as TSA Pre®. According to TSA, expedited screening involves a relatively more e... | In 2015, TSA screened or oversaw the screening of more than 708 million passengers at more than 450 U.S airports. In carrying out the screening process, TSA is responsible for ensuring the security of civil aviation while also managing the efficient flow of passengers. TSA employs screening personnel, called TSOs, to c... |
OJP, the grant making arm of the Department of Justice (DOJ), provides grants to various organizations, including state and local governments, universities, and private foundations, that are intended to develop the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist crime victims. OJP’s assis... | The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides grants to state and local governments, universities, and private foundations to help prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist crime victims. OJP bureaus and program offices award both formula and discretionary grants. The monitoring of grant activities is a... |
In response to the risks posed by man-made and natural disasters, such as acts of terrorism and severe weather, over the past decade the federal government has emphasized the need to improve the resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure through various national policies (see table 1). These policies—which focu... | Public transit systems, which receive funding from the federal government, are vulnerable to catastrophic events, as demonstrated by the impact Hurricane Sandy and other events have had on transit systems. These events highlight our reliance on transit systems for access to jobs, medical care, and other services, as we... |
There are two main measures of federal debt—gross debt and debt held by the public. Figure 1 in the attachment shows the gross debt. It captures all of the federal government’s outstanding debt, and totaled $5.4 trillion at the beginning of fiscal year 1998. This measure is composed of debt held by the public as well a... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed issues related to federal debt, focusing on: (1) how debt is defined in its various forms; (2) how it is measured; (3) how much it has grown up to now and could be reduced in the future; (4) who holds federal debt; and (5) why is it important to the national economy. G... |
ITAA, a trade association, issued a report titled Help Wanted: The IT Workforce Gap at the Dawn of a New Century in February 1997 that focused on issues relating to the IT labor market. Responding to this report, the National Economic Council and the Departments of Commerce, Education, and Labor began to discuss the wo... | GAO discussed the Department of Commerce's report on the demand and supply of information technology (IT) workers. GAO noted that: (1) Commerce's report has serious analytical and methodological weaknesses that undermine the credibility of its conclusion that a shortage of IT workers exists; (2) however, the lack of su... |
Section 1107 of the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2013 established the Committee on National Security Personnel within the Executive Office of the President. The Committee was required to include, at a minimum, representatives from OMB, OPM, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, DOD, and the Departments ... | Complex national security challenges—including nuclear proliferation and terrorist attacks—require a federal government workforce that can collaborate effectively across agency lines. Congress established the section 1107 Interagency Rotation Program in which national security personnel could be assigned to work at ano... |
Dramatic increases in computer interconnectivity, especially in use of the Internet, are revolutionizing the way our government, our nation, and much of the world communicate and conduct business. The benefits have been enormous. Vast amounts of information are now literally at our fingertips, facilitating research on ... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed information security audits at federal agencies, focusing on: (1) the pervasive weaknesses that continue since the results of a similar analysis 2 years ago; (2) the serious risks that these weaknesses pose; and (3) major common weaknesses that agencies need to address... |
DOD’s supply chain is a global network that provides materiel, services, and equipment to the joint force. DOD has had weaknesses in maintaining visibility of supplies, such as problems with inadequate radio- frequency identification information to track all cargo movements. We added this area to the High-Risk List in ... | DOD's 2014 Strategy states that to achieve a seamless and effective supply chain, DOD needs to have end-to-end visibility of its assets from acquisition to disposal and all points between. The Fiscal Year 2014 NDAA required DOD to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy and plans for improving asset tracking and in... |
The existing system for consumer product safety, like many other federal programs and policies, has evolved in a piecemeal fashion. New laws and agencies have been established over time, resulting in a patchwork system with different agencies having different regulatory and enforcement authorities for different consume... | The oversight of consumer product safety is a complex system involving many federal agencies. As part of a mandate that requires GAO to identify federal programs, agencies, offices, and initiatives with duplicative goals or activities, GAO reviewed federal oversight of consumer product safety. This review examines (1) ... |
Over the past 2 years much attention has been focused on derivative products, most of which has centered on the well-publicized multibillion-dollar losses suffered during this period by major commercial corporations, banks, and local governments. Despite the losses, derivatives use has continued to grow rapidly, reachi... | GAO conducted a follow-up review of the regulation of financial derivative products, focusing on actions taken or proposed since May 1994 to: (1) strengthen corporate governance and internal controls for derivatives dealers and major end-users; (2) improve regulation of major U.S. derivatives dealers; (3) provide feder... |
In the United States, authority to regulate elections is shared by federal, state, and local officials. Congressional authority to regulate elections derives from various constitutional sources, depending upon the type of election, and Congress has passed legislation in major functional areas of the voting process, suc... | Since the enactment of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, there have been notable changes in how states and local election jurisdictions conduct key election activities, such as registration and voting. States regulate some aspects of elections, but the combinations of election administration policies can vary widely a... |
In recommendations to Congress and the administration, we suggested actions that could be taken to improve compliance with the tax laws, increase accounts receivable collections, modernize the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), enhance the effectiveness of tax incentives, assist taxpayers, and improve financial management... | Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO summarized its work on tax policy and administration issues during fiscal year (FY) 1994, including: (1) actions federal agencies took in response to its recommendations as of December 31, 1994; (2) recommendations made to Congress before and during FY 1994 that remain open; a... |
Under statutory authority enacted in 1950, NTIS is directed to collect scientific, technical, and engineering information from both domestic and foreign sources and to make the information available to (1) business and industry, (2) state and local governments, (3) other federal agencies, and (4) the general public to ... | This report reviews the Department of Commerce's National Technical Information Service (NTIS), which is a permanent repository and principal disseminator of scientific, technical, engineering, and business-related information. NTIS acquires research reports primarily from federal agencies and their contractors and gra... |
In response to the destruction caused by the earthquake, Congress provided more than $1.14 billion in reconstruction funds for Haiti. As table 1 shows, USAID received $651 million of these funds for bilateral reconstruction activities. Our June 2013 report contains a detailed description of its scope and methodology. T... | On January 12, 2010, an earthquake in Haiti is estimated to have caused about 230,000 deaths, resulted in 300,000 injuries, and displaced about 2 million persons. Following immediate relief efforts, Congress provided $1.14 billion for Haiti reconstruction in the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010. USAID, which is re... |
More than half of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, and more than one- third of U.S. adults are trying to lose weight. Increasingly, they are turning to weight loss supplements for help. The most widely used weight loss supplement is ephedra, or ma huang. The active ingredients in ephedra— ephedrine alkaloids—are co... | Since the enactment of the Dietary Enactment Supplement Health and Education Act in 1994, U.S. sales of weight loss supplements have increased steadily. The sales of weight loss supplements--reported to be the fastest growing segment of the dietary supplement industry--increased 10 to 20 percent annually from 1997 to 2... |
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: I am pleased to have this opportunity to discuss the administrative redress system for federal employees. The current redress system grew out of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA) and related legal and regulatory decisions that have occurred over the past 16 years.... | GAO discussed the administrative redress system for federal employees. GAO noted that: (1) the federal employee redress system is a complex and duplicative system that affords employees redress at three different levels; (2) the system is inefficient, expensive, and time-consuming because of its complexity and the vari... |
State Medicaid programs do not directly purchase prescription drugs but instead reimburse pharmacies for covered prescription drugs dispensed to Medicaid beneficiaries. States operate their Medicaid programs by paying qualified health-care providers (including prescribers and pharmacies) for a range of covered services... | Medicaid is a significant expenditure for the federal government and the states, with total federal outlays of $310 billion in fiscal year 2014. CMS reported an estimated $17.5 billion in potentially improper payments for the Medicaid program in 2014. GAO was asked to review pharmacy-related program-integrity efforts a... |
From the beginning of the modern petroleum industry in the early 1900s, both industry and the federal government have recognized the problem that temperature-induced changes in volume present for inventory control. Specifically, the fact that petroleum products, like most other substances, expand when heated and contra... | The volume, but not the energy content, of hydrocarbon fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, varies in response to changes in temperature. Thus, because of expansion, the energy content per gallon of 90 degree fuel is less than that of 60 degree fuel. States and localities adopt and enforce weights and measures regulatio... |
Conditions today present some of the most difficult recruiting and retention challenges DOD has experienced in recent history. Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, DOD has launched three major military operations requiring significant numbers of military servicemembers: Operation Noble ... | The Department of Defense (DOD) must recruit and retain hundreds of thousands of servicemembers each year to carry out its missions, including providing support in connection with events such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In addition to meeting legislatively mandated aggregate personnel levels, each military componen... |
Industrial security integrates information, personnel, and physical security to protect classified information entrusted to contractors. The goal is to ensure that contractors’ security programs detect and deter espionage and counter the threat posed by adversaries seeking classified information. According to DSS, atte... | Department of Defense (DOD) contractors perform numerous services that require access to classified information. With access comes the possibility of compromise, particularly as foreign entities increasingly seek U.S. military technologies. To ensure the protection of classified information, the National Industrial Sec... |
Madam Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: We are pleased to be here today to discuss the results of our work to date on the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) efforts to have its information systems function correctly when processing dates beyond December 31, 1999. These efforts are necessary because IRS’ informati... | GAO discussed the results of its work to date on the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) efforts to have its information systems function correctly when processing dates beyond December 31, 1999. GAO noted that: (1) for its existing systems, IRS has made more progress in converting application software than converting its... |
Due to their genetic proximity to humans, chimpanzees have historically been used in invasive biomedical research projects that study the immune responses in chimpanzees chronically infected with hepatitis virus, HIV, malaria, or with other medical conditions. However, new methods and technologies developed by the biom... | For over 50 years, the federal government has supported the use of chimpanzees in research; however, NIH recently suspended the use of chimpanzees in agency-supported invasive research. As of January 15, 2016, NIH owned or supported 561 chimpanzees in four facilities, including Chimp Haven, which was established as a f... |
The task of estimating overstays presents a difficult challenge. Although INS has a data system for tracking the dates when individual foreign visitors arrive in and depart from the United States, the agency cannot assume that all persons whom the system does not record as having left have, in fact, overstayed their la... | Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the basis for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) estimates of persons who entered the United States legally as visitors but did not leave under the terms of their admission. GAO found that INS: (1) devised a creative approach for estimating overstays by es... |
Each service has introduced at least one new uniform into inventory in the last 10 years. Prior to 2002, all four military services were using the Army’s Battle Dress and Desert Camouflage uniforms. However, since that time each of the services (including the Army) has developed new uniforms to address deficiencies tha... | Since 2002, the military services have introduced seven new camouflage uniforms with varying patterns and colors--two desert, two woodland, and three universal. In addition, the Army is developing new uniform options and estimates it may cost up to $4 billion over 5 years to replace its current uniform and associated p... |
Student demographics: To be eligible for Job Corps, interested youths must be at least age 16 and not yet age 25 at the time of enrollment, and they must be considered low income and have an additional barrier to employment. These barriers include being a school dropout, a runaway, a foster child, a parent, or homeless... | Established in 1964, Job Corps is the nation's largest residential, educational, and career training program for economically disadvantaged youths. Administered by the Department of Labor (Labor), Job Corps received about $1.6 billion in program year 2007 and served about 60,000 students. Some have expressed concern th... |
In 2007, almost 13 million citizens from 27 countries entered the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. The program was created to promote the effective use of government resources and to facilitate international travel without jeopardizing U.S. national security. The United States last expanded the Visa Waiver ... | The Visa Waiver Program, which enables citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States without first obtaining a visa, has many benefits, yet also presents security, law enforcement, and illegal immigration risks. In August 2007, Congress passed legislation that provides the Department of Homeland Se... |
To determine what analysis the federal government had conducted to assess the safety and effectiveness of electric stun devices on board commercial aircraft, we conducted a literature search to identify the extent of past research that had been done by various federal agencies on the safety and effectiveness of deployi... | The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has authority to approve air carrier requests to deploy less-than-lethal weapons, including electric stun devices, onboard commercial aircraft to thwart an attack. Since the terrorist attacks of 2001, one air carrier received approval to deploy electric stun devices. To ... |
Since the 1970s, progress has been made in reducing the number of fatalities and injuries on our nation’s roads, but the numbers are still significant. From 1975 through 2001, annual fatalities decreased from 44,525 to 42,116, or about 5 percent. During the same period, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles t... | Nearly 6.3 million motor vehicle crashes occurred in the United States in 2001, or one crash every 5 seconds. On average, a person was injured in these crashes every 10 seconds, and someone was killed every 12 minutes. Since the 1970s, progress has been made in reducing the number of fatalities and injuries on our nati... |
Dislocated workers who have lost their jobs as a result of international trade are largely provided services through three federally funded employment and training programs—the TAA program, the WIA Dislocated Worker program, and the Wagner-Peyser ES program. These services are provided through a consolidated service de... | Little is known nationally about the extent to which workers laid off as a result of international trade use the variety of federally funded reemployment services available to them. GAO was asked to study the experiences of workers affected by a small number of trade-related layoffs. GAO examined (1) the extent to whic... |
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) represented a significant departure from previous welfare policies in place for more than 60 years. Previously, state and local welfare agencies focused mainly on issuing monthly welfare checks to eligible families. In contrast, the re... | Following major welfare reform in 1996, the number of families receiving cash assistance was cut in half to 2 million. While many former recipients now rely more on their earnings, they often work at low-wage jobs with limited benefits and advancement opportunities. To better understand how to help these individuals an... |
DOD operates six geographic combatant commands, each with an assigned area of responsibility (see fig. 1). Each geographic combatant command carries out a variety of missions and activities, including humanitarian assistance and combat operations, and assigns functions to subordinate commanders. Each command is support... | In January 2012, DOD issued new strategic guidance on defense budget priorities, indicating that it must rebalance its overseas force postureincluding the forward stationing of Navy ships in Spain for ballistic missile defense and the reduction of U.S. Army forces in Europein the face of deficit reduction. Similarly,... |
The total number of incidents involving incomplete inactivation that occurred from 2003 through 2015 is unknown for three reasons: (1) the inability to easily identify incidents involving incomplete inactivation in incident databases; (2) the absence of reporting requirements for pathogens that are not select agents; a... | This testimony summarizes the information contained in GAO's September 2016 report, entitled ( GAO-16-642 ). or John Neumann at (202) 512-3841 or neumannj@gao.gov . The total number of incidents involving incomplete inactivation--a process to destroy the hazardous effects of pathogens while retaining characteristics fo... |
The federal government has a long-standing policy of maximizing procurement opportunities for small businesses, including small disadvantaged businesses. To encourage the award of federal contracts to small businesses, Congress has set an annual government-wide goal of awarding not less than 23 percent of prime contrac... | Since 2005, OMB has emphasized using strategic sourcing to improve efficiency in federal procurement. Strategic sourcing is a process that moves an organization away from numerous individual procurements toward a broader aggregate approach. GAO was asked to review how strategic sourcing affects small businesses, includ... |
Although there is no commonly accepted definition for collaboration, for the purpose of this report we define it as any joint activity by two or more organizations that is intended to produce more public value than could be produced when the organizations act alone. For example, joint activities can range from occasion... | The federal government faces a series of challenges in the 21st century that will be difficult, if not impossible, for any single agency to address alone. Many issues cut across more than one agency and their actions are not well coordinated. Moreover, agencies face a range of barriers when they attempt to work collabo... |
Historically, the American governance system, divided into federal, state, and local jurisdictions, does not provide a natural vehicle for addressing public policy issues from a regional, multijurisdictional perspective. The autonomy of local jurisdictions and competing priorities within and among them can make regiona... | As requested, GAO reviewed coordination practices in various metropolitan areas to find regional programs with lessons learned that could be applied in the National Capital Region (NCR) and elsewhere. We addressed the following questions: (1) In selected metropolitan areas, what factors enhance regional coordination? (... |
For the purpose of this review, we define a memory supplement as a dietary supplement that is intended to improve or in other ways positively affect memory, as exhibited by the claims on its label or advertising. Claims may involve proxies for memory loss such as cognitive function, brain power, and absentmindedness. T... | Memory supplements—dietary supplements claiming to improve memory—are a growing market, with sales estimated at $643 million in 2015, almost double 2006 sales. FDA and FTC share oversight of memory supplement marketing—labeling and advertising claims—but generally do not approve claims before products are marketed. GAO... |
The Congress enacted the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to establish a comprehensive policy and program for the safe, permanent disposal of commercial spent nuclear fuel and other highly radioactive wastes in one or more mined geologic repositories. The act charged DOE with (1) establishing criteria for recommending ... | The Department of Energy (DOE) is working to obtain a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to construct a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. The project, which began in the 1980s, has been beset by delays. In 2004, GAO raised concerns that persistent quality assurance problems could f... |
DOD planned to end fiscal year 1996 with about 234,000 active duty officers. Officers serve in warfighting positions as infantry commanders and fighter pilots and support positions as civil engineering officers, personnel officers, and veterinarians. About 108,000 officers (approximately 46 percent) are assigned to sup... | GAO reviewed certain military support officer positions as possible candidates for conversion to civilian status, focusing on the: (1) criteria the military services use to determine which officer positions are military essential; (2) officer positions that could be filled with civilians without harming operational cap... |
Our work routinely leads to recommendations for improving efficiency and effectiveness across the federal government’s programs, resulting in measurable savings and improvements. Since fiscal year 2003, our work has resulted in over ½ trillion dollars in financial benefits and about 17,000 program and operational benef... | GAO’s mission is to support Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. GAO provides nonpartisan, objective, and reliable information to Congress, executive branch agencies, an... |
We designated the federal oversight of food safety as a high-risk area to raise the priority and visibility of the need to transform this system. Overall, our High-Risk Series has identified and helped resolve serious government weaknesses in areas that involve substantial resources and provide critical services to the... | Each year, about 76 million people contract a foodborne illness in the United States; about 325,000 require hospitalization; and about 5,000 die. The outbreaks of E. coli in spinach and Salmonella in peanut butter, along with contamination in pet food, have highlighted the risks posed by accidental food contamination. ... |
USPTO administers the nation’s patent and trademark laws to protect inventions, encourage innovation, and advance science and technology through the preservation and dissemination of patent information. The principal effect of patent law in a market economy is that it provides the economic incentive for inventors to de... | The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) receives over 300,000 patent applications each year. Before the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999, USPTO was required by law to keep the information on patent applications confidential until a patent was granted. The act modified this requirement and mandated that US... |
State provides hardship and danger pay to employees who serve at many of its overseas posts as an incentive to work in harsh or dangerous locations, many of which are critical to advancing U.S. foreign policy objectives. As of February 5, 2017, State offered hardship pay at 188 of its 273 overseas posts (about 69 perce... | State provides hardship and danger pay, among other allowances, as incentives for State personnel to work at challenging overseas locations. Hardship pay compensates employees for service at overseas posts where conditions differ substantially from those in the United States. Danger pay compensates employees for servic... |
Subsets and Splits
Short Government Reports Sample
Retrieves short reports or summaries from the training dataset, which helps identify potentially incomplete or truncated entries that might need data quality improvement.
Short Government Reports Filtering
Retrieves short reports from the training dataset, providing basic filtering but offering limited analytical value beyond simple length constraints.